


Tumble

by SEpupppupp (ForNought)



Series: Please Look Here [1]
Category: Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Crushes, Day Out, Frenemies, Gen, M/M, Trampolines, but nobody dies, death mention, eunki-centric, sorry i am just used to spelling it as "eungi", they're all just being drama queens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-04 01:38:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10979688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForNought/pseuds/SEpupppupp
Summary: When Insoo suggests a trip out for some of his nearest and dearest (and Eungi extends the invitation a bit further) there is squabbling and sniping and a little bit of friendship and more.





	Tumble

**Author's Note:**

> this features far less tumbling than the title suggests

“Are you sure Jungjung isn’t going to get offended that we didn’t invite him the other day?” Insoo asked quietly. When Eungi frowned, Insoo only thought to elaborate with a very significant glance at Woodam across the table.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Woodam asked a bit pathetically as he pulled his straw out of his mouth.

Eungi knew exactly why Insoo was looking at Woodam with such obvious triumph in his features. It was only a week ago that Woodam discovered that Eungi and Insoo had spent a day together without inviting him. Woodam had been near inconsolable for twenty minutes and still Eungi had no idea why he was so upset about it. But he wasn’t going to ask, not when Woodam was already flushed and his eyes were glistening.

“Jungjung isn’t going to mind something like that,” Eungi said confidently.

“I’d be offended,” Insoo said. He tipped his head onto Eungi’s shoulder and pouted whilst fluttering his eyelashes. “Remember, I was offended when you went on that date with Hwanwoong without telling me.”

“It wasn’t a date,” Eungi said flatly as he slowly leaned away.  

“Woodam-ie, hung,” Insoo simpered, “What do you call it when two friends meet?”

“Would you call Sangbin and Jaehwan’s meeting a date?” Woodam asked. It seemed like he was trying to be spiteful but instead he sounded sincerely confused.

Insoo winked and shot a finger gun at Woodam. “Yes I would. But if Sangbin begged to meet me I wouldn’t call it a date because now we’re not friends.”

“You’re not friends anymore?” Eungi couldn’t help but ask. As soon as the answer came Eungi knew he had been right to feel reluctant about asking.

“That’s right. I was betrayed by a very dear friend. I was disrespected. If any of you were to do the same thing our friendship would end too.”

Woodam was a fool. He must have been because his eyes went wide and he looked shocked at the exaggerations that Insoo was so prone to. “Even me?”

“Especially you.”

Woodam looked scandalised that Eungi would even think to laugh at a time like this but surely it was bad for his health to be serious so often. Of course the smile slid right off Eungi’s face the second he saw Jungjung chatting away to a very confused-looking Kenta as they entered the café where they had all agreed to meet. Insoo didn’t miss a thing and elbowed Eungi roughly and shook his shoulder as though that would help matters at all.

“Kenta!” Woodam called as he waved them over. Woodam had his back to the door so Eungi was left wondering whether it was his own expression, or Insoo making a nuisance of himself that clued him in to the new arrivals.

Kenta smiled and squeezed at Woodam’s shoulder. “I’m sorry we were late. They changed their mind about letting Jungjung out so I had to kidnap him.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let them call the police,” Jungjung insisted happily.

“Did you hear that, Eungi, he won’t let his company call the police,” Insoo said with unnecessary volume.

Jungjung looked uncertain for a moment. That moment was just long enough for Eungi to imagine all the ways he could hurt Insoo. Unfortunately for Eungi he could only imagine one realistic method and that involved slapping Insoo pathetically because Eungi was mostly afraid of breaking his fingers in an incorrect punch. Also Eungi was afraid that the one time Insoo hadn’t exaggerated would be when he was trying to convince everyone of his street cred and he really had beaten up a person who tried to mug him.

“I wonder what Hwanwoong and Jaechan’s excuses will be,” Insoo-of-dubious-street-cred pondered.

Eungi kept his mouth shut. He knew the reason that the last two people who they had invited were yet to arrive. He thought it would be a bit strange to mention it now. It seemed like a secret and Eungi wished maybe he had mentioned it casually so it wouldn’t be so strange when the group was completed for the day. A subject change should stop Eungi from feeling so strange about things.

“I’m feeling a bit thirsty. Kenta-hyung, I’ll come with you to get your drink,” He said breezily as he stood and stumbled over Insoo as he made his escape.

“Me too!” Jungjung said as he started to rise.

“Quickly, Kenta! No, not you. Woodam-hyung!”

Woodam somehow understood what he was supposed to do despite Eungi’s struggles to drag Kenta to his feet and steer him away from the table. As Eungi manhandled Kenta, he heard Woodam ask Jungjung’s opinion on whether he could make it as a rapper.

When Eungi decided they were far away enough from the table – which coincidentally was when they reached the counter – he smiled stiffly at Kenta.

“Is everything alright, Eungi?” Kenta asked. He sounded extremely sympathetic, which was terrible because it meant that Eungi was being some degree of pathetic.

“Yes. Everything is fine. All correct.”

Kenta looked the opposite of convinced but he nodded anyway. And then he tricked Eungi into letting Kenta treat him for his drink. Even as he sat back down at the table beside Insoo, he stared down at his iced vanilla latte and wondered how he had it without having to even open his wallet. Opposite Insoo, Jungjung was thanking Kenta for whatever it was that was green with cubes of ice in it. Eungi could be forgiven for feeling dazed.

“Hyung, are you alright?”

It took a while for Eungi to realise that he was the one being addressed. It was not until Insoo had stolen his drink and prodded his cheek with the straw that Eungi’s attention was even directed to the newcomers. Hwanwoong and Jaechan had arrived with Hyunmin.

“Hyunmin, you came!” Eungi exclaimed. Hwanwoong rolled his eyes and took the chance to close the gap between their two tables with a creak deal of skidding and squeaking of table legs.

“That is so rude,” Hwanwoong said loudly over whatever Hyunmin was trying to say. “After everything we have been through as friends, you can’t even be bothered to respond to my genuine concern. Wow.”

“Don’t worry, I’m still your friend,” Jaechan said soothingly as he patted Hwanwoong’s arm from across the extended table.

“Your other friend Bae Jinyoung says hi,” Insoo said, entirely unnecessarily.

“Sangbin-hyung didn’t say hi to you though, Hyung,” Jaechan said sympathetically.

“Is Jinyoung coming too?” Jungjung asked.

“No, they’re just being mean to each other,” Kenta clarified kindly. Less kind was Insoo’s retort to Hwanwoong which had Eungi wanting to cover Jaechan and Hyunmin’s ears.

“Anyway,” Woodam said loudly over Jungjung asking what Insoo had just said. “What was it that we wanted to do today?”

“I want to go and watch The Boss Baby,” Hwanwoong said. He threw a very meaningful look at Eungi, Insoo and Kenta before glaring directly at Jaechan.  

“Why do I get glared at?” Jaechan grumbled. “I never normally get invited.”

“Hwanwoong, we can go and watch it another time,” Woodam said. Hwanwoong looked as though that was not something he wanted to do, which meant he was bringing up the cinema trip just to be petty. Eungi could be as petty as anybody but there was no point in being petty if he wasn’t at least going to stick with it.

“Gaming café?” Hyunmin suggested.

“Isn’t Insoo banned from the majority of the arcades and gaming cafes around here?” Kenta pointed out.

“How do you know about that?” Insoo asked.  

“I was there,” Kenta said, tilting his head in confusion. He leaned forwards and stage whispered, “Were you drunk?”

“He is banned,” Eungi confirmed for the rest of the table to Insoo’s chagrin.

“Karaoke?” Hwanwoong said.

“I am vetoing that one right now,” Insoo said. When Hwanwoong looked at him questioningly, Insoo gestured to Woodam. “Is there any point with him here?”

“Thanks,” Woodam said. “Not everything is a contest though.”

“If that is really what you think, no wonder my first impression of you was that you were a wet blanket,” Insoo sighed.

“Does that mean he thinks you’re boring?” Jungjung clarified helpfully.

“Okay, let’s split up then. I’ll take Eungi, Kenta, and… Hyunmin? You can have the rest. And then we never see each other again. Deal?” Woodam asked as he shoved his hand across the table, clearly ready to seal the deal right away.

“I know you clearly don’t like me, but lumping me in with the likes of Insoo really hurts,” Hwanwoong said.

“How about _I_ take Eungi, because he clearly loves me more, and you can have Jaechan who is much cuter anyway.”

“I’m meant to take that offensively, right?” Eungi asked. Obviously, that was the sort of question that Insoo would never dream of answering, not when the alternative was grinning smugly at Woodam.

“What do you mean he loves you more?”

“I hate you both equally, just to clear things up,” Eungi said, no matter how futile.

“Be that as it may, Woodam made the fatal mistake of giving me Jungjung, so you’d rather be on my team anyway,” Insoo said decisively. Eungi couldn’t even pretend to be shocked that Insoo could make such a statement without batting an eyelash, but he wished that Insoo hadn’t said it. Eungi would rather not have people giving life to the thoughts that Eungi had enough trouble ignoring when they were inside his own head. 

“I’d like that too,” Jungjung commented unhelpfully. It seemed he was the only other person actually paying attention because Hyunmin and Hwanwoong were crowded around Jaechan’s phone and Kenta looked about ready to drink himself into a caffeine-induced coma.   

Eungi hoped that when the ambulance came for Kenta and pried his hands away from whatever coffee and sugar abomination he was drinking that the paramedics would have enough time to cure Eungi of whatever health crisis he was suffering. He only smiled tightly and hoped somebody else – anybody except for Insoo – would say something.

“There’s a trampoline park nearby,” Jaechan said, saving Eungi’s life. “I’m not sure what ‘team’ I am on now, but whoever I am being forced to hang out with is going there.”

“I’d quite like to go too,” Hyunmin said, raising his hand just in case there was any mistake about who was speaking. Eungi would have loved to say that sort of thing was unnecessary but it seemed like the sort of conversational rule that should be implemented over Insoo and Woodam.

“A trampoline park? Do we just jump around?” Kenta asked.

“Ah, Hyung, it sounds so boring when you say it like that,” Jaechan pouted. He held his phone across the table for the benefit of whoever wanted to be slightly more informed. “Look, there’s a cool video.”

Not everybody looked at the video. Eungi was curious himself about the trampoline park but didn’t get to see any of the demonstration when Insoo was shaking his shoulder and gesturing to his lapful of Kenta. Eungi shook his head, he wasn’t going to say anything to change the situation. Having Insoo embarrassed and even being careful about breathing was refreshing compared to the bickering with Woodam that had become routine.

Eungi only looked over the top of Kenta’s head at Jungjung because he was making a point of ignoring Insoo, that was all. But the concentration etched across his face as he watched the video was something that continued to draw the eye. Eungi wished he had ended up looking at something that he could quickly look away from instead of get caught staring like a weirdo.

Jungjung smiled back and Eungi wished he could go back in time and maybe prevent himself from having been born.   

Eungi’s crisis aside – and Insoo’s more minor crisis notwithstanding – everyone agreed to go to the trampoline park. The eight of them got blue bands taped around their wrists, they were made to sit in a dark room and watch a presentation which insisted they would all die here at the trampoline park, and they were given socks with the official branding of the trampoline park to wear.

“I can’t believe we had to pay 3000 won _each_ for these ugly socks,” Jaechan grumbled. Hwanwoong shoved his arm.

“Have you put your hand inside your pocket yet? Jungjung-hyung paid for your socks and the entry because you were whining about being a poor student,” He chided as though his own performance for free entry had been any better. Kenta didn’t seem to mind that he had inadvertently adopted a tiny nuisance as he pulled on his own socks.

“If you keep these safe you won’t need to buy any the next time you come,” Kenta informed them as he wriggled his toes.

“You’re already planning on returning?” Eungi asked. “What if we have a really bad time today? Won’t these socks just end up being a bad reminder, hyung?”

“Hong Eungi!” Woodam said crossly, “We’re all going to have a great time today. If I see you stop smiling for even a second there’ll be trouble.”

Woodam looked and sounded very serious but he was on the wrong side of cute for Eungi to feel like the impending ‘trouble’ would be too bad. Insoo caught Eungi’s eye, making it a terrible task to not dissolve into laughter as he nodded, “I understand.”

They would only be at the trampoline park for an hour but that was a very long time to be unable to stop smiling. Even if Eungi didn’t feel particularly threatened, he didn’t want to have Woodam thinking that he was being looked down upon.

Eungi’s face had begun to hurt before he had even stepped foot on a trampoline. He allowed his face a rest as he bounced idly on a small trampoline. It was fine; Woodam’s back was turned while he was busy enforcing the ‘one jumper per trampoline’ rule that Hwanwoong and Jaechan were determined to break.

“One of you is going to get hurt,” Woodam chastised as he made a poor attempted to hop over to them. It was difficult to tell whether they were hugging or wrestling, but Insoo was already on his way over to join in.

It was too late when Woodam realised that Insoo did not intend to help him. He was certainly getting some use out of his lungs as he hollered for Kenta, apparently another voice of reason, to help him pry the three young men apart.

“What do you think will get us thrown out first, Hyung? Woodam-hyung’s shouting or whatever it is that Hwanwoong and Jaechan are doing?” Hyunmin asked from the square beside Eungi’s.

Eungi did a very good impression of a person who was not startled. Hyunmin was grinning up at him with the kind of smile that set a person at ease. Eungi felt very at ease, like it was fine not to get involved when Hyunmin was around. Eungi could just leave all the stress to Woodam.

“I think Woodam-hyung is probably making things worse,” Eungi admitted. “The attendants don’t particularly seem to care much about Jaechan and Hwanwoong killing each other.”

In fact the employees of the trampoline park looked even more bored as they watched Kenta tackle Insoo and pull him into a hold that looked more at home in a MMA match than on a trampoline. They must have seen quite a lot of things in the past to barely bat an eyelash at the fact that both Hwanwoong and Jaechan were sitting on top of Woodam. It was a shame that someone so well-meaning was so lacking in support.

“Should we pretend that we don’t know them?” Hyunmin suggested. It was an excellent suggestion. Eungi quietly agreed and Hyunmin led him in the direction of the trampoline runs – yet more trampolines, but instead of small squares they were long stretches of trampoline. Apparently they lent themselves quite well to tumbling. It was all very impressive when you were Byun Hyunmin and flying was a reality. It was a different story when you were Hong Eungi and you felt embarrassed about only being able to cartwheel pathetically in the next lane.

“Maybe I should pretend I don’t know you either,” Eungi grumbled.

“Why is that?”

“You’re really cool, Hyunmin. You… uh, you are a very capable person.”

“You’re cool too, hyung,” Hyunmin replied easily as though the two of them could be measured on the same scale. Eungi took pride in his dancing, but Hyunmin was a good dancer who was possibly super-human. He was obviously a lot cooler than Eungi. What made him even cooler was how genuinely he could call Eungi cool despite it not being particularly true. 

“I’m really not fishing for compliments, Hyunmin. You’re the coolest.”

Hyunmin was positively glowing at that. He was such an earnest kid. He swayed coyly as his grin widened. “Ah, Hyung, what is so cool about me?”

“I’ve already admitted that much. Now you want me to tell you things that would make your head get bigger?”

“Should I guess then? Usually people compliment me over my Taekwondo. Is it that? Do you want me to defend your honour some time, Hyung?”

It was a nice offer. But it would have been nicer if it wasn’t so jarring on Eungi’s pride.

“Ah, there you are.”

First Eungi’s pride had been pricked and now it was guilt. Jungjung was mostly normal so it probably wasn’t nice to have been left behind while the others brawled and frolicked to varying degrees. He was smiling a bit so it was unlikely that he bore bad news.  

“Is it just the two of you?”

“It was for our sanity, Hyung,” Hyunmin asserted just as easily as anything else had said that afternoon.

“Oh, really,” Jungjung said quickly, barely sparing a glance. “It was getting a bit boring over there. Is it more interesting over here?”

“Hyunmin was just putting me to shame,” Eungi said. Jungjung frowned slightly.  

“Why would he do that?”

“He was just doing acrobatics. The usual.” Eungi only rolled his eyes a little bit. He was just as good-natured as anybody else. “I suppose you must be here to do the same.”

“Now you are calling it ‘the usual’? A moment ago I was the coolest,” Hyunmin said.

“I wouldn’t, Eungi,” Jungjung said softly. “We can do anything that you want, you know.”

That was a terrible offer. There were a great many things in the world that Eungi wanted to do but he had the sense to know that he shouldn’t even entertain thoughts of most of them. But on a day when Eungi was trying to exercise some form of self-control and maintain a semblance of sanity it was not the time to offer that sort of kindness. Under no circumstances did he want to make a fool of himself in front of Jungjung, but there was nothing else for it. He could have suggested returning to see whether Woodam and Insoo had progressed to squabbling between themselves, but if it turned out that they weren’t falling out they would probably find a way to embarrass Eungi.

Eungi could to a somersault or two – well it was more a cartwheel that was almost as good as a somersault – but that was just something he had practiced a few times without intending to perform it. He couldn’t do anything anywhere near as impressive as what Jungjung and Hyunmin could do.

Some idiocy overcame Eungi, regardless of what he could and could not do – and he found himself asking for acrobatic help.

“I’ll do it!” Jungjung said, arm straight in the air as though he was competing with any number of people for the honour. “I’ll do it, Eungi! I can teach you.”

So Eungi ended up learning how to do a simple tumble on the trampoline runs. The video they had watched earlier had warned them not to try anything that they couldn’t do on a daily basis. One of the attendants had dourly said that they were not allowed to teach people to do flips and the like, yet despite Jungjung’s enthusiasm for teaching Eungi, the attendant was more interested in texting their friends. Eungi supposed there was no liability from the trampoline park’s point of view if a visitor broke every bone in their body was taught by another visitor.

Eungi wondered if there was any liability to the trampoline park if Eungi died because of the surety with which Jungjung held his waist. 

Hyunmin had elected to bouncing alone, tumbling for the benefit of an audience that had gathered on the observation platform. Eungi supposed they would be getting their turn soon, and some were recording Hyunmin’s acrobatics. Hopefully all of the attention was on Hyunmin and there would be no eyes on Eungi as he concentrated on not dying.

“It is about where you put your weight, Eungi. You have very good balance already,” Jungjung said quietly. Eungi wondered how necessary it was for Jungjung to be pressed against his back to teach. Maybe this is how it was in China. Maybe it was necessary to show the student like this to gain a better feel. There was probably nothing more to it and Eungi was the strange one.

It felt a lot more like a back hug when Jungjung hooked his chin over Eungi’s shoulder. “Should we start off with something simple? Just a walk-over? I can spot you.”

“I’ll give it a try,” Eungi said weakly. Hyunmin flashed past in a whir of limbs and there were even cheers from the observation deck.

The warmth at Eungi’s back dissipated. “Please look here.”

Eungi turned to face Jungjung despite the stupid expression he knew he was wearing. Even now, Jungjung’s face was so warm and open. His smile was infectious and Eungi wished he could accept the contagion every day. Eungi wished for a great many things. He wished that he wasn’t so obviously affected by other people, especially Jungjung who was being far too kind to a person as sly as Eungi right now. Eungi wished that he didn’t like Jungjung, that the friendship they had forged hadn’t culminated in these fanciful thoughts after dancing together. However, more than that, he wished that Jungjung liked him back.

“Please, look at me,” Jungjung said once more, far too formal. His smile was smaller this time and his arm was reaching out as though to take Eungi’s hand.  

“I am looking,” Eungi said quietly. He always was looking. It seemed ridiculous that Jungjung wouldn’t know that.  

Jungjung nodded but Eungi wasn’t certain that it really was that he had understood. There was a wobble in the constancy of Jungjung’s usually positive expression but it wasn’t enough to be able to pinpoint what it was. Perhaps he was disappointed at the hint of weight Eungi wished the words had. Perhaps it didn’t have anything to do with Eungi at all! The world didn’t revolve around Eungi! How he wished that it was the case!

“Ah, Hyung, why don’t you show me one more time how I am supposed to do it,” Eungi suggested. He stepped back off the trampoline run and folded his feet underneath himself at Jungjung’s request.

Jungjung stood with his back to Eungi. The shape of his back was ambiguous. Eungi wanted to be able to see Jungjung’s face, but at least this way his own face was hidden from view. He wouldn’t be able to cope with being seen looking, watching, even though it was what he was supposed to be doing.

Eungi didn’t blink once as Jungjung tumbled away in a series of cartwheels and flips as though it was the same thing he claimed to be explaining to Eungi just minutes ago. That was nothing that Eungi could ever dream of doing. It was impressive and hypnotic, so Eungi supposed he couldn’t be blamed for the way his eyes stuck to Jungjung the way they did, but the differences between them were too pronounced.

“Jungjung-hyung is really cool, isn’t he,” Hyunmin said as he too crossed his legs and sat beside Eungi.

“Yeah, he is.”

“You’re cool too, Hyung.”

Eungi laughed quietly as he watched Jungjung return. “We are not having this conversation again, Hyunmin.”

Hyunmin knocked his shoulder into Eungi’s and smiled. “I just thought you could do with hearing it. I think Jungjung-hyung would tell you just how cool you are if you asked him to.”

What a thing to say. “Don’t be silly,” Eungi muttered.

“It’s true.”

“Eungi, now it’s your turn,” Jungjung said impatiently. He held his hand out to Eungi. In the moment that Eungi hesitated, Jungjung grabbed Eungi’s wrist. Hyunmin whooped as Eungi was dragged onto the trampoline run and Jungjung smiled sunnily at him. “Just remember what I told you.”

“What you told me?”

Jungjung faltered for a moment but he got straight back on track. “When I was helping you to feel where to put your weight.”

That was a funny thing to call it. Eungi didn’t remember Jungjung saying anything much. This would probably be how he died – just like the video they watched at the start of the session said. Maybe the people watching would record the footage and include it in future versions of the video to really put the fear in people.

“Right,” Eungi said unconvincingly.

“Fighting!”

“Hmm, yeah. Fighting,” Eungi said unenthusiastically.

 Eungi was not ashamed to say that he chickened out. He definitely only cartwheeled three times before stopping and standing. He was not ashamed of not breaking his neck, but it was unfortunate that Hyunmin’s innocent exuberance had attracted Insoo and Kenta of all people.

Eungi wasn’t Woodam. He wasn’t going to hope that Kenta’s presence was good news.

“Tumbling king Hong Eungi!” Kenta shouted with his arms in the air, Insoo hanging from his shoulders and whooping unnecessarily.

Eungi bowed, because there was no point getting embarrassed at this point. Jungjung looked a bit confused but everyone else seemed to find it funny enough. Kenta even skipped over the trampolines while laughing.

“Are you giving lessons?”

“I don’t take students for free,” Eungi said. Kenta raised his eyebrows.

“Does Jungjung?”

“Ah, hyung,” Eungi grumbled. Kenta pinched him on the arm and then smoothed his hand over it. He ignored Insoo’s wailing from several metres away because Jaechan and Hwanwoong were nudging him with their feet.  

There was a hand at Eungi’s back and Jungjung was close and his presence alone was enough for Eungi to start thinking silly things again.

“Eungi is good, isn’t he?” Kenta asked conversationally. Jungjung nodded, smiling as always.

“He really is! He is so skilled at so many things. And he is so kind too!” Jungjung rattled off as though anybody had asked. 

“You’re too much, Hyung,” Eungi said.

“But you have so many good points,” Jungjung said.

Even if that was true, there was no need to even mention anything to Kenta. Kenta didn’t care about anybody’s good points, especially not when it came to people like Insoo and Eungi, but for some reason Kenta was smiling as though he wanted nothing more than to hear all the things Jungjung had to say about Eungi.  

“I wonder if the rest of us have as many good points? You told me about a lot of them earlier,” Kenta said lightly, as though this was something too insignificant to kill Eungi.

“Of course, everybody has good points. It is just that I have seen Eungi’s the most.”

“Oh, really?” Kenta asked as though his interest had genuinely been pricked.

“Please, stop it,” Eungi said. He hated the places his brain took him and he really did not need Kenta and Jungjung intentionally making things worse. It had been a stupid idea to try and widen their circle of friends and bring Hyunmin too when Eungi didn’t even want to be here himself right now. The only good thing about the situation was the fact that Kenta really did stop. He patted Eungi’s arm and smiled encouragingly before chasing after Hyunmin – and somehow getting Jaechan to help round him up.

“Are you alright, Eungi? Did I do something wrong?” Jungjung asked. There was no logic at all in the question. It burnt that Jungjung was prompting Eungi to explain himself. Eungi didn’t want to have to make up a believable explanation. He didn’t want to have to tell the truth about why he was being so weird all the time. He wanted to go home and sleep for a very long time – long enough that Jungjung could maybe get married and start a family and Eungi could finally wake up when it was much easier to get over his lack of chances for anything.

“You haven’t done anything wrong,” Eungi said, because at least that much was easy.

Jungjung looked pacified by that but there was something skittish about his eyes. Eungi spared a glance for Hyunmin who had apparently turned the tables on Kenta and somehow got Hwanwoong and Jaechan to help tickle him to death. The video from earlier was right about certain death.  

“I don’t think there is long left,” Jungjung said quietly. “Maybe we should go upstairs and wait for the others.”

It seemed like a bad idea to go somewhere alone with Jungjung – he might get trapped by a difficult question and have no way to distract from the issue – but Eungi somehow ended up agreeing.

Eungi was too stupid to be saved if he insisted on putting himself in situations like this.

Upstairs, they could still hear Hyunmin and Hwanwoong’s triumphant cheering. Over the edge of the observation platform Eungi could see Woodam. He had clearly given up and was bouncing solo on a trampoline, entirely unaware of Insoo’s ominous approach. Eungi looked away for a moment – just to share a knowing look with Jungjung – but it seemed he had startled the man who sat beside him.

Eungi could have asked what the matter was but he knew that he himself was the problem here. It was better to avoid the topic completely and not give Jungjung a chance to call him out unless he worked for it.

Jungjung was a stronger person than Eungi. He could actually open his mouth and say something where Eungi preferred not to rock the boat.

“I really like you, Eungi,” Jungjung said. Maybe it was the way his voice sounded, but it was likely just the words themselves that had Eungi’s stomach dropping to the floor. He didn’t need to hear things like this, especially not when they were followed by, “You are a very good friend to me. I am sorry if some of the things I say make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine, Hyung.”

“It isn’t!” Jungjung insisted. “I don’t want to say things that are difficult for you to hear. I don’t want to hurt you.”

It was very nice of him to say. Still, Eungi was left wondering why such a sincere sentiment did hurt to hear. He was petty and foolish and it was just a tiny little crush.

It was so easy to remember how silly he was when he watched Woodam and Insoo force Kenta into skipping around in a circle with them as payment for rescuing him. They were all just as silly as he was but for different reasons. He looked back at Jungjung and tried a smile that fit a bit more naturally on his face than the one Woodam wanted to see there earlier. It was a small smile but it was a start.

“Hyung, you are a person I can learn a lot from. You really shouldn’t worry so much. Maybe I like you too much for anything you say to hurt me,” Eungi said. His voice was flippant, like he didn’t really care, but it didn’t feel entirely like lying. 

Jungjung looked uncertain and for a moment Eungi was scared of whatever Jungjung could possibly say. But then the announcement through the PA system was calling the people wearing blue wristbands out of the trampoline park. Their time was up and Jungjung settled for a smile before offering a hand to help Eungi up. 

“I barely got to do anything,” Jaechan grumbled as they made their way out.

“Whose fault was that?” Hwanwoong asked. Jaechan immediately elbowed him in the ribs.

“It was your fault,” Jaechan whined. “Hyung, why didn’t you let me play?”

“Wow. I am speechless,” Hwanwoong said darkly. He linked arms with Eungi and increased their pace. “Hyung, we can’t be friends with Jaechan anymore. He is mean.”

“Aigoo~!” Insoo said exaggeratedly. “How is it fair that you are trying to break up our friendships so clumsily?”

“Don’t worry, it was going to be a clean break. I plan to never speak to you again either.”

Insoo just laughed aloud and ruffled Hwanwoong’s hair. “You like me.”

Hwanwoong pressed closer to Eungi and glowered at the ground. He really was sulking because he didn’t even turn to stick his tongue out in response to Jaechan’s loud soliloquising about not having any other friends to play with. Insoo had moved on to slinging his arms around Kenta and Woodam’s shoulders to insist to them that they liked him too. Eungi felt a bit like sulking that Insoo wasn’t telling him how much he could feel Eungi’s affection. But it was no big deal, it wasn’t as though Eungi cared that much. He had other friends.

One of those other friends was Byun Hyunmin who hadn’t offended Hwanwoong’s delicate sensibilities today.

“Did you have fun today, Hyunmin?” Eungi asked.

“I did. Did you have fun today, Hwanwoong-hyung?”

“No,” Hwanwoong lied.

“How about you, Eungi-hyung?” Hyunmin asked without even pausing to address Hwanwoong’s sullenness. Eungi ignored the rather pointed look at Jungjung who was foolishly agreeing with Insoo about something or other.

Eungi had no clue what the question was supposed to mean. He hadn’t had a bad time. Overall. If he didn’t think about his own idiocy. But Hyunmin was grinning like a fool, like he was in on some sort of joke. He fit in far too well with the likes of Insoo and Kenta. 

“Yah, Hyunminnie, how cheeky can you get? Of course I had a good time,” Eungi said, feigning annoyance. Hyunmin only smiled wider.

“I’m glad you invited me today, Hyung. Fighting!” Hyunmin cheered. He skipped sideways a few steps before reaching out to Jaechan behind and swinging their arms together. “You have my support.”

Hwanwoong finally stopped pretending to glare at everyone and tugged on Eungi’s arm. Eungi really loved Hwanwoong but he was beginning to reconsider when Hwanwoong smiled widely in the way that only he could and he held up a fist. “Fighting!”

**Author's Note:**

> i'm trying not to think about how most of my fave boys have probably been eliminated hahaha. anyway this was meant to be shorter but it got away from me.


End file.
